Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts

Thursday, September 24, 2015

DIY Topiary Tiered Pumpkin Decor




My mother-in-law and I saw this cute Pinterest post with tiered pall pumpkins and we wanted to recreate it ourselves. We bought the pumpkins at Michaels and of course used out 50% off coupons, and the sticks we already had laying around.  We bought the pots at Big Lots and filled them with soil. We made TWO tiers, but in this tutorial I will be sharing how to make one.  I also strongly recommend Target, because they carry lights, stakes, and pots, and possible pumpkins if you can't find them at Michaels.

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Here are the supplies you will need:
- 5 fake pumpkins (3 white, 2 black). Either 9" or 13" will work.
- 1 Pot : We purchased ours from Big Lots (Gardening Center)
- Metal rod/ approximately 4" tall and 3/4" round (depending on how big your pot is, you'll need to put a large portion of the rod into the soil/dirt to hold it in place.  We packed ours down with a little water.)
- Exacto Knife or fake pumpkin carving tools. (We bought a set of 3 at Michaels for $3.99)
- 1 String of white lights.  (We used a pack of 140 that was more than enough.  We would have been fine with a pack of 50-75. Here's a pack of 50 for @2.49 at Target)

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Step 1: Draw out your pumpkin faces using a pencil on your pumpkins. Be as creative as you'd like!  I chose to do different faces throughout.  You can also check out this page for different pumpkin faces courtesy of Shutterstock.




Step 2: Carve out the eyes, nose and mouth or whatever shapes you chose to make. (This part is the most time consuming.(Hand cramping) But the result is worth it!



Step 3: Shake out all the debris from cutting and decide how you want your pumpkins to lay on top of each other.  I alternated them sideways.  I made X's on where to cut the circle.  Make sure to cut the circle large enough to fit through the stake.  

Tip: Don't forget to make sure the top pumpkin only has a hole at the bottom, because the top of your stake will be in the middle of the pumpkin for balance and doesn't need to poke out the top.



Step 4: Carve out a square on the reverse side of each pumpkin large enough to fit a light plug. (both top and bottom) Again, do not add the square on the top of the top pumpkin.



Step 5: We started adding the pumpkins on the stake one by one and weaved the string of lights through as we did it. (Make sure to leave enough room to be able to plug your lights into an outlet.  We accidentally strung the lights up the wrong way! #FAIL, so make sure you don't follow our mistake!) 

Tip: Also pictured is a wooden stake that did not work as we had planned. It was not sturdy enough to hold up the pumpkins.  We had to get a metal stake.






Once you weave all the lights through the opening in the back like you made in Step 4, and all your pumpkins are on the stake you are done!  Just add any floral or pretty accents on the bottom to give it some curb appeal, and you've got yourself the cutest DIY pumpkins on the block!








Share your DIY pumpkins with us! Tag @showeredwithdesign and use hashtag #showeredwithdesign on instagram!  We cannot wait to see what creative juices are flowing your way!

*This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase something through the links, I may be given a small commission.

Linking with Katie and Pinky.



Friday, July 25, 2014

Guest Post: Mary

Hey Y'all!  I'm Mary, the girl behind, Eat Drink & Be Mary.  I'm a girl in her twenties who recently graduated college, and am now learning to love long distance.  A coffee loving, DIY crafting, recipe trying, legging wearing, Instagram obsessed, aspiring teacher and Christian.  Just trying to find my place in this "big girl" world, one blog post at a time.  You can often find me raving about a recipe I recently tried, an outfit I got a great deal on, or just a hodge podge of what's on my mind lately.  Pour a cup of coffee, pull up a chair & stick around for what I'm super excited to share with you today...



Now I know we've all seen different tutorials for the infamous sock bun.  But don't you dare click away yet.  This is not the average tutorial!  


We're well into Summer, and the days are long & HOT!  I love having long hair, but somedays it's just too darn hot to not pull up.  But in the summer I want a hair do that is quick & requires little-to-no heat (ain't nobody got time to add more heat into the mixture on a summer day)!  In comes the SOCK BUN to save the day.  And what do I do when I found an even easier way to master something?  I run and share it on the interwebs...


This tutorial includes no actual sock (despite the name) & is the easiest way to master this bun!  I learned how to do this EASY sock bun from my dance teacher, and have loved it ever since.  Gone are the days that I struggle with that dern sock in my hair trying to get an even, circular bun.  Anddddd your hair doesn't have to be incredibly long to master this up-do.


What you'll need: This bun donut & a handful of bobby pins.  
Optional: If you need to texture/dirty up your hair put some mousse, hairspray, and/or tease your hair before starting.





Let's begin...
Step 1: Put your hair in a pony tail.




Step 2: Place the donut around the ponytail.




Step 3: Separate your ponytail in half, and pull the top part up.




Step 4: Spread your hair around until the donut is completely covered, and secure with a hair tie.




Step 5: Take ends of hair (in sections) and twirl them around the bun, securing with several bobby pins. I separated my hair into 3 different sections.



Step 6: Hairspray away at that bad boy.  TA-DA!!








There you have it a quick and easy way to style your hair this summer that looks professional and cute!  Is this not the easiest tutorial you've seen yet?  What is your favorite summer hair do?  Are you a "sock" bun fan?

 

Thursday, July 10, 2014

DIY Bachelorette Tank Tops


Hey all!  If you didn't already know for my Bachelorette Party the girls and I went on a 3 day cruise.  I wanted to get something super cutesy for my gal pals to strut around in.  I wanted them all to match so that everyone on the cruise knew that we meant business!  I looked around online for cute bachelorette tanks and all were at least $17 PER tank top.  Considering I needed a total of 5+, that would have cost me around $85 not including the shipping and tax. Soooo not gonna happen.

I opted for a more affordable option, DIY.  I had some stencils around the house, a paintbrush and acrylic paint.  First I layed out the letters on the Tank top and taped the edges so that when I began painting, they would hold in place.  Add some glitter, let it dry, and you have yourself HANDMADE bachelorette tanks that are not only affordable ($5 per tank + paint (already had) + paintbrush) but UNIQUE and one of a kind!   Total cost per shirt if you didn't already have paint and paintbrushes would probably come out to around $6 each, totaling to $30 for 5 shirts.






COST if I were to buy these     $85
COST I actually spent            -  $30
Total saved:                            $55

I also had an idea to make some matching tote bags the girls could take to the pool on our cruise.  I found these plain bags at Hobby Lobby for $1.99 each.  What a steal, right?  Add some paint with the help of a few stencils and BOOM - you got yourself a cute, unique bag for the girls to take by the pool.

{I found some cute ones online that were @ minimum $15 per bag.  That would have cost me @ least $75, but because I did them myself, it only cost me $10 for a total of 5 bags!



The fabulous shirts in action:

My gorgeous bridesmaid in her tank!


The ladies before the cruise!!


Entire project (Shirt + Bag)
If I would have purchased:    $160
Actual cost I paid:                    $  40
Amount saved:                      $120

I think I'm going to like this whole DIY stuff.

Here is what I put inside of the bags for the girls:
*Personalized coozie (via Etsy)
*Clear Plastic Mason Jars filled with Advil, Bachelorette name tags, beads & whistles, and penis straws of course!
*Personalized tank tops 
*Personalized fake "boarding passes" with our cruise schedule
Enter the giveaway I have running here.

P.S. Two more days till our wedding!!! EEEEEeeeekkkkKKK!!!

Pin Bachelorette Sash at Bachelorette.com

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

DIY Holiday gifts- on a budget!

Sorry I have been so busy lately, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like to. Nor have I had any time for DIY Holiday projects yet, which I am super bummed about.  But I have put together a list of my favorite DIY projects that I would have tried if I had the time and energy to do so :

Here are my favorite DIY Holiday projects that would make great gifts for your girlfriends, your mom, other family members, or co-workers. They will love the homemade touch to the gift. Plus it will save you money!

Pop Tab Bracelet  -- so easy! Just use ribbon and the can tops!





Pop Tab bracelet



Glitter holiday candles with double sided tape Want to Make this candle?Find out how to HERE



DIY Painted mugs. So many ideas and variations you can do. I LOVE the monogram idea.

DIY Monogrammed Mugs... or ANYTHING. Just use Enamels Acrylic Paint & Bake! Love this!



DIY Hand Painted Chevron Mugs


Are these not amazing and adorbs ideas? Also, while at the mall last week I walked by Claires (or Icing-- one in the same!)-- and I saw these "Mustache Mugs" and was going to buy a few for a girlfriend for Christmas for a silly gift.  Come to find out they were $8.50 each!  Seriously? I can totally recreate this mustache madness on a mug for $2 max!  Hello 99 cent store and dollar tree white mugs! and hello Black or Brown ceramic paint!
 



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1qaU4x9WIq2S95IHb6zGiZQ4qUgXVhgFoz9ZTxOMbB1YhBV2Eo8Wu2IBB4FlWZtKCxkRII1IYXXvGPFx5SevDR9ppBvxEuguPstGEZAYjgozXMrYQzqgjvoeLBE9RvJodK8Jhl03C7g/s1600/Moustache_mugs.jpg
Are these not hilarious?? I want one! I must resort to making one soon! After I saw them I was researching mustaches online, and come to find out someone had the same idea that I had-- I guess I'm not such a genious like I thought- sigh!

via



See how many funny photos you can have! haha I love it.
Check out Kandeeland blog for a DIY mustache mug








I am soooo totes doing this for my co-workers! 
Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday! I am going out of town before and after Christmas so I wont have much time to blog! Take care! xoxo







Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Holiday Gift DIY



Who doesn't love a homemade gift, and how much better would you feel if you knew you had a few simple ingredients around your house to make the perfect DIY gift for everyone this Holiday Season.  That's right! Save money, and give the gift that your girlfriends are sure to love!

No need to suffer the stampede at the mall this season when you have exactly what you need at home to make a spa-worthy gift. You will need:

                                                1. White sugar
                                                2. Brown sugar 
                                                3. Olive oil 
                                                4. Vanilla
                                                5. Tubberware Container or Glass
                                                    Jar With Lid

Now I know you have these necessities for baking around your house during the Holidays!

Step 1
         Take all ingredients and mix them together
Step 2
         Package the scrub in a clean Tupperware container
Step 3
        Tie it up with a holiday bow

You can also switch it up and add some peppermint sugar, 

Here are some cute wrapping ideas I found for inspiration:


http://cache.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/sugar_scrub.jpg 
 
Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub  
via google

xox Let me know if any of you make a sugar scrub this season!


-Lisa Nicole 

Sorry in advance for being a huge goof.





Ok lets swap ads! December is the month of Giving, let's share! Click Contact-- and the small ad space-- my  promo code for free swap is "swapad"




Monday, December 3, 2012

DIY Jewelry Board-- in 8 simple steps




I can't believe its December already! I am so behind on my Christmas Shopping! Anyways, this is how I spent my Friday night with a friend. -- haha.-- totally old person status! Literally we started our project around 10 pm and didn't finish till 3 am! -- We also watched Bridesmaids while crafting!

Here's what you'll need
-wood board ( any size) -- cheaper at Home Depot-- cut it down to any size
-Mod Podge
- Lace Sheet or Other Fabric ( LAce works well because you can see through it)
-Paint ( Acrylic or Wood Paint)
- Ribbon
-Paint Brush
-Glitter- any color ( I used turquoise )
Glue- Glue Gun & Fabric Glue
-Sequins or Rhinestones ( or Pearls! )
-Sand Paper-- ( I used 150)
- Jewelry Hooks


This project costed me probably around $7 -- because I already had most of the items in my craft bin.

1. First begin by using your sand paper. Smooth out the entire front part of the board and the edges

Here is a photo of my girl Jewels board (left) and mine ( right)

2. Use your Acrylic ( or wood)  Paint, and start painting the front of your board

3. After you've painted the board, let dry for 5 minutes.
Then, use your Mod Podge & Glitter  ( I mixed them together first)  and Go over the paint using the same brush strokes.  Then sprinkle some extra glitter over the top.


4. Immediately after painting with your Mod Podge, Lay your Lace Sheet, or Fabric over the board and press down evenly.

5. Flip the board over and pull the edges of the fabric tightly and secure them by painting Mod Podge over the Lace onto the wood board.



Here is what it looked like after Completing Steps 1-5




I love how the glitter shows through the lace- GorGeoUs!



Let dry for about 10-15 minutes -- Me and my girlfriend went and bought dinner- and learned Biance's "Put A Ring on it Dance" -- we are so lame!

6. Begin laying your ribbon diagonally and secure with a glue gun on the reverse side of the wood board.

7. Repeat going the opposite diagonal side and secure with glue as well.  ( We did not glue the ribbon flat on the board-- we only glued them down on the back side of the board)

8. Then add rhinestones- using your fabric glue, and jewelry hooks ( We used the twist-screw- like hooks)


Then hang on your wall by securing a metal wall hanger to the back of your board!
Enjoy your new jewelry display and bragging rights!


What do you think? I had so much fun making my jewelry board with my gal pal!  We decided this needs to happen at LEAST once a month! & Don't you worry, we will post photos!  Hope you all have a lovely week!

also, I just Entered an AMAZING GROUP GIVEAWAY! Check out Glossy BLonde to find out more!